Traditional chef sauces, soups and gravies are based on starch as a thickening agent. Within the process of preparation, the starch grains are swollen and allowed to interact. With such chef sauces, the sauce is used shortly after preparation and therefore the natural starches used cause no problems.
However, in manufactured sauces the starch has to survive extremes in terms of processing (ie. high temperatures and high shear) and then remain stable (no loss of smoothness etc.) for long periods of storage time. Storage may be under frozen, chill or ambient conditions. The sauce, soup or gravy then needs to be stable on re-heating for consumption. Because of these requirements manufactured sauces use chemically modified (cross-linked and derivatised) starches.
The use of such modified starches causes a number of problems and concerns such as;
(a) they give a starchy taste and texture, probably due to some (limited) retrogradation on storage; PA1 (b) they are seen by consumers as chemicals; and PA1 (c) the final sauces are not as smooth as home-made sauces. This is probably due to limited swelling or retrogradation of the starch polymers which results in hard included particles. PA1 (a) the sauce has the same breakdown properties (ie perception of thickness on eating) as a starch-containing system. PA1 (b) the sauce has improved taste properties, having an excellent creamy taste with no starch off-flavour. PA1 (c) the sauce has a glossy appearance; and PA1 (d) the sauce has a smooth, non-slimy texture. PA1 (a) a dispersed phase of non-starch polysaccharide microgel; and PA1 (b) a continuous phase comprising a biopolymer solution. PA1 (a) from 50 to 80%, most preferably approximately 70%, by weight of the aqueous phase non-starch polysaccharide microgel; and PA1 (b) from 0.3 to 15% by weight of the aqueous phase continuous phase biopolymer.
It is therefore desirable to be able to replace the modified starch thickening agent in sauces, soups and gravies.
We have now found that the starch granules may be replaced by non-starch polysaccharide microgel. This microgel has none of the problems associated with granular starch allowing a liquid sauce, soup or gravy product to be provided which has a high temperature, shear and storage stability and has a smooth texture.
Furthermore sauces manufactured using the microgel system disclosed below have the following advantages;